Gilman had the honor of hosting a memorable event that brought together students, parents, and administrators alongside esteemed guests Bill Greene and his son Nick Greene ’86 at the Finney-Greene and Baltimore Educational Scholarship Trust (B.E.S.T.) family dinner held on Thursday, September 12.

The evening highlighted the enduring legacy of Mr. Greene, who was the School’s first Black faculty member in 1968 and who later served as Assistant Headmaster from 1987-2001. (He was also Director of Upward Bound from 1969-2001 and Director of Middle and Upper School Admissions from 1988-1993.) Associate Director of Community, Inclusion, and Equity Joe Valentine-White ’07 gave opening remarks. “This work is deeply personal as I know how important it was for me to have adults and peers who looked out for me when I was a student,” he said. “I hope to pay it forward to the next generation of Gilman students.”

Greene participated in a Q&A session with Valentine-White, where he emphasized the importance of Gilman maintaining positive relationships with public schools to attract high-quality students and to create opportunities for bi-directional professional development. “The audience was captivated during Mr. Greene’s speech,” said Valentine-White, “with the room so quiet you could hear a pin drop.”

Tributes from distinguished guests included Head of School Henry Smyth and Vice President of the Board of Trustees Karlo Young ’97; both spoke about Greene’s significant impact on Gilman and their personal experiences. Assistant Head of School for Community, Inclusion, and Equity Mike Molina added his perspective on Greene’s contributions and gifted him with a portrait of Gilman’s affinity group leaders.

Greene’s son, Nick, gave concluding remarks, reflecting on his return to campus for the event after nearly 40 years. He was pleased to notice the significant increase in diversity at the School and expressed the significance of witnessing his father’s role in making this progress possible. His words encapsulated the evening’s spirit of gratitude and progress.